Darcy is Done!
by Caitriona3
Summary: Darcy is the all-around gofer for these people, and she's sick and tired of not getting thanked. She is going on strike. (Make sure you read the author's note on chapter 1!) NOTE - Correction made to Phil's chapter...
1. Strike! Strike! Strike!

_Author's Note – This was from a prompt at the Darcy Lewis Impromtuthon. I also set myself a personal challenge. Each chapter had to be right around 500 words and written in 30-45 minutes. I like the way it came out, and I hope you do to!_

**Strike! Strike! Strike!**

"There's no coffee!" Tony's irritated voice rang out from the kitchen even as the other members of the household gathered in the dining room.

"What do you mean 'no coffee'?" Jane frowned. "Darcy always makes coffee." She looked around, but it suddenly struck everyone. No one had seen the usually smiling brunette.

Tony stalked out of the kitchen. "Lewis! You're falling down on the-" He stopped. "Where is she?"

"Mr. Stark," JARVIS interjected, "I have a message for all of you from Miss Lewis. Shall I play it on the media screen?"

"Yeah, yeah," Tony muttered before leading everyone into the next room.

The blank screen flickered and then Darcy's face appeared. "Good morning, guys and gals," she chirped. "JARVIS is going to be playing this whenever he can get a majority of you in one room." A mischievous look crossed her face. "Don't worry though. The missing folks are getting it as well. Nice to know some of the…ahem…_connections_ between SI and SHIELD are in proper working order." Her expression turned serious and she sat back. "Now, on to the important bit - I, Darcy Lewis, am formally announcing my intention to go on strike. This particular little gofer is fed up with being taken for granted. Everyone expects me to be there at the drop of a hat and ready to go to work without so much as a good morning or a thank you." She frowned, but lifted her chin in a slight show of defiance. "And I am done. You super heroes, super brains, and super agents can just figure out the small stuff on your own until you are ready to appreciate the little people." There was a pause and then she continued. "Oh, and don't bother trying to find me until then. You're going to find that I've learned a trick or two from you lot…including how to disappear until I'm ready to be found." She gave a quick wave at the screen. "Have fun!"

The screen went black.

Silence reined for a long moment before people began talking over each other.

"What does she mean?"

"She'll be back."

"We do not take her for granted."

"That's a little dramatic, don't you think?"

Steve's voice finally rose above the others. "She's probably just having a bad day," he reasoned. "I'm sure she'll be back soon.

"And if not, we can manage until she does," Betty said softly. People began nodding, although Jane and Pepper were both more hesitant than the rest.

"Mr. Stark," JARVIS interrupted. "Director Fury is on the line and would like an explanation about 'connections' between Stark Industries and SHIELD."

"I'm not here," Tony replied instantly. He stood up and began walking towards the door. "I'm going to my lab. Fifty on Lewis breaking down and coming back in less than two weeks."

"I'm in," Clint chimed in.

Light laughter broke out as people left to get back to their usual workdays. Little did they expect the trouble that was to come.


	2. Casualty 1 - Pepper Potts

**Casualty #1 – Pepper Potts**

Virginia "Pepper" Potts usually handled Tony Stark, Avengers, SHIELD, Stark Industries, corporate rivals, lawyers, politicians, and the media like a pro. She exuded a cool, confident air regardless of the situation. Her very serenity made her the perfect foil for her volatile fiancé, and she knew it. Even better, in her mind, Tony knew it too. Granted, Tony was also the one person who could get under her skin faster than anyone else. It had been months since things got that tense however.

Pepper found out why just two days after Darcy's rather dramatic video.

Five calls…_five_ within the first three hours of the work day.

Tony would be the death of her.

He called to complain about Jane not sharing her toys. Bruce began to get snippy and Betty threw something at him when he wandered into her lab. His last call involved a ten minute discussions about the Thai they had for lunch last week, but nobody knew where it came from because Darcy picked it up after visiting Central Park.

Striding past her assistant, she ordered all of her calls to be held until instructed otherwise. She barely resisted the desire to slam her office door, but she began muttering under her breath the moment it closed behind her.

"JARVIS!"

"Yes, Miss Potts?"

She stopped pacing and leaned on her desk. The fingers of one hand tapped restlessly against the wood as she pondered the day. "How much of that does Darcy usually filter?"

"Miss Lewis spends a great deal of time moving between the laboratories to in order to, in her words, 'negotiate peace accords'. Her computer files include extensive lists of allergies as well as likes and dislikes of each individual within the tower. She updates them regularly." There was a short pause. "I believe she also keeps a calendar on her tablet to ensure there is no repetition of meals over a month's time span unless a specific request is placed."

"A list for everyone?" Pepper blinked in surprise.

"Yes, Miss Potts," JARVIS replied promptly. "Miss Lewis appears quite observant. There have been many times when she was entering such information on her phone in order to remember."

"Let me guess," Pepper closed her eyes for a moment. "All those times someone teased her about computer socializing, she was actually entering information?"

"Not every time, but most, yes."

Now she buried her face in one hand. "Is she on Stark payroll?"

"No, Miss Potts."

"SHIELD?"

"She receives a monthly stipend for her assistance with the Avengers Initiative."

Pepper drew in a breath. "Put her on the payroll, effective immediately with a full benefits package. No waiting period. Encrypt her file at the highest levels and note that everything involving Darcy must go through my office for approval."

"Yes, Miss Potts."

"JARVIS? Next time Tony gives her too much grief, I want to be notified." She slumped into her chair. "And she has to deal with _all_ of them? No wonder she went on strike."


	3. Casualty 2 - Nick Fury

**Casualty #2 – Nick Fury**

Director Nicolas Fury strode towards his office, paying no attention to the agents scurrying out of his way. Trainees, baby agents, even decorated veterans moved quickly to avoid him. No one seemed willing to deal with the boss right now. Most days he would have been amused, sardonically amused, but amused.

Not today.

No, today his fist clenched tight around a sheaf of reports…reports that made absolutely no sense.

He stormed into his office, slamming the door behind him. Tossing the reports on his desk, he paced the small area mumbling curses and dire predictions under his breath. His eye returned to the silent stack every few seconds and that was just enough to send him off once more.

A knock on the door drew his attention. "Come!"

Maria Hill stepped inside. "You asked to see me, sir?"

"Agent Hill," Fury began, voice rumbling in displeasure. "Can you explain to me why our scientists seem to be having trouble deciphering these reports?" His hand shot out, pointing at the stack on his desk with silent accusation.

She lifted one eyebrow. "Banner, Foster, Ross, and Stark?"

"Yes."

"Our scientists never decipher them," she told him simply.

His eye narrowed. "Then how the hell do I usually end up with perfectly understandable reports?" The scowl on his face grew deeper as he turned his glare back towards the desk. "I have no idea what the damn things say and our head scientist looked ready to babble witlessly when he shoved them into my hands."

"Sir," Hill took a deep breath. "SHIELD employs some of the best minds on the planet."

"I am aware of this, Agent Hill."

"Yes, sir," she continued patiently, "but we also operate under a handicap. Those brilliant minds must be able to work within a military structure. Unfortunately that means they have a particular set of outlooks which do not lend themselves to dealing with the freelance insanity often shown by the Brain Trust."

"Brain Trust, Agent Hill?"

"Sorry, sir, it's the term Lewis uses to refer to the four scientists of the tower."

"Lewis," Fury drew out the name.

"Yes, sir." Hill tilted her head. "Lewis generally reviews the reports for the tower and retypes them, adjusting or, well translating as necessary. She makes sure to get verification from each scientist on the accuracy of her translation before sending them in."

"Lewis is no scientist."

"No sir, but she does seem to be able to understand their thought processes – Stark's stream of consciousness, Ross' habit of adding multiple side explorations, Foster's pigeon-English, and Banner's shorthand."

"Damn."

"Yes, sir."

Fury leaned back, folding his arms over his chest. "So I can keep expecting reports like that until she gets back?"

"Yes, sir."

"Make a note on her file," he ordered. "Raise her pay grade and security level to match that of a specialist. Anybody that gives her trouble answers to me."

"Yes, sir." Hill turned to leave.

"And Hill?"

"Sir?"

"Kick my ass if I forget this."

"Yes, sir."


	4. Casualty 3 - Jane Foster

**Casualty #3 – Jane Foster**

Doctor Jane Foster jittered in place as she stared at the white board in front of her. Numbers and equations filled the entire surface. Science was her passion and right now every iota of her being said she was within sight of a monumental breakthrough in astrophysics. If she could just pull out the answer, they would have the energy signal for the Bifrost. With that in hand, they could begin working out ways to disrupt it.

Not that she wanted to prevent Thor from travelling to and from Asgard, but he had mentioned other worlds, including some place with Frost Giants, and she was pretty sure they didn't want them visiting.

Why couldn't she find the answer?

She picked up her coffee mug to take a sip and grimaced at the flavor. Her brow drew into a frown as she glanced around her lab. It was quiet…too quiet. No mutters from Darcy about evil numbers…no music filling up the background spaces…no tapping of the keyboard…it was just too quiet. She had become so accustomed to working with a constant hum of noise in the background and now it was gone.

Jane put the mug back down and began wandering through the room.

Papers covered every surface – sky charts, energy readings, even sandwich wrappers. Nothing had been filed or thrown away in three days, and it looked like the paperwork might actually overflow soon. Darcy would never have let her get to this state. And the lab…the desks… Jane winced. Darcy would be so upset with her when she got back and saw the place in this kind of a mess. While Jane wasn't quite certain what all Darcy did, the petite scientist knew one thing – Darcy made things run smoother.

Food and coffee and sleep and girl talk and…and…just everything!

Had she really been so bad about taking Darcy for granted?

Jane racked her brain, trying to remember the last time she said "thank you" or "good job" or anything like that.

She couldn't remember.

Did Darcy know how much Jane needed her? Appreciated her?

How could she if Jane never said?

Tears pricked at the scientist's eyes even as she began trying to tidy up. Thor entered at that moment. He took one look at her and began trying to lead her out. "You must sleep, Jane."

"Thor, I can't," she told him in a soft voice. "I have to clean this up before Darcy comes back. It wouldn't be fair to make her do it."

"We shall clean it," he assured her, "but later. You need rest."

"She is coming back, right?" Jane's real worry crept out of her as she let him lead her out of the lab. "She's only away for a little while…right?"

"Lady Darcy will return," Thor replied, certainty filling his voice. "She loves you too much to stay gone."

"Okay," she nodded, a hint of relief spilling over. "I have to remember to tell her."

"Tell her what?"

"That I really, really do need her."


	5. Casualty 4 - Bruce Banner

**Casualty #4 – Bruce Banner**

Doctor Bruce Banner was a lot of things. First and foremost, he was a scientist. Betty insisted he was one of, if not the most gifted of his generation, but he took that with a grain of salt. She always did take his side after all. There was also the flipside of his personality though, the one that landed him on SHIELD's radar along with every other military and law enforcement agency in the world.

He had a tendency to turn into a large green creature know as Hulk.

He was also an Avenger. That kept him in a near perpetual state of surprise. He could understand Hulk being counted as one of the team. Hulk was near impossible to kill and tended to be overprotective of the 'puny' ones he accepted as teammates. No, the surprise was how the others always included _Bruce_ as a member of the team. Usually people shied away from Bruce because no one quite knew what would trigger his transformation – it usually took something big, but not always. Only Tony and Betty spent a lot of time with him.

He knew exactly when and how attitudes in the tower changed.

When Dr. Foster arrived, she brought her assistant – a bright-eyed smart-aleck named Darcy Lewis.

Darcy did not seem to understand the concept of personal space, let alone the need for caution. From her first day, she pushed all of his boundaries. She would lean on him during movies nights as she traded opinions about various actors with Betty. There were hug-ambushes in the labs when she thought he looked particularly 'snarly', to use her colorful language. During low points, when he was even avoiding Betty, she would track him down and bribe him with his favorite teas and candied nuts. On one particularly strange day in Central Park, she sat on a bridge and jabbered happily away to Hulk as SHIELD finished clean up after a fight with some weird lizard men.

Bruce later told her she was crazy and not to do that again. She laughed at him.

Her acceptance seemed to open the door to the rest of the team. They started coming to him with questions, jobs, and issues that didn't involve the 'Hulk-smash' program. Even Natasha seemed to calm down around him after Betty and Darcy joined them, neither woman showing any fear of Hulk or his roaring, angry attitude.

He missed her in a way that almost caused him physical pain. It wasn't romantic or anything like that, but more like he was completely off stride because she wasn't there. The hugs, the casual way she touched him without flinching, simply sharing her time with him without any sign of fear…had he really never said a word in gratitude? His head lowered as a sense of shame crept over him, and he could feel Hulk grumbling as well. Things would change, he promised himself.

He would make sure she knew just how much he…how much _they_ appreciated her presence in their life.


	6. Casualty 5 - Clint Barton

**Casualty #5 – Clint Barton**

Clint Barton was sulking. He would have denied it if anyone said a word about it, but he could admit to himself that he was definitely sulking. Darcy Lewis – his partner in crime – had disappeared and he didn't know where she was. Was she safe? She had just as much of a target on her as anyone else in the tower. Maybe even more because she would be valuable as a hostage. Heck, she was probably second only to Pepper in the best hostage for a bad guy to snatch up.

Right, so only a handful of the bad guys actually knew that, but that in no way negated the validity of his point.

People often wrote him off as part of the 'muscle' of the team, and he didn't mind letting them have their little misunderstanding. It meant they underestimated him when the situation came to a boil. That gave him the advantage of surprise and he always liked having that edge. Darcy was one of the few who never made that mistake.

Probably because people did the same thing to her.

The woman spoke Farsi, for crying out loud! It's not like that was the foreign language of choice for your average American student. She liked to joke and play; her sarcasm was a thing of beauty, but Darcy didn't do things half-assed. If she set her mind to something, then she damn well did it.

Okay, okay, so he was the first to agree with Tony that she would break first, but…well, who would have blamed him?

Darcy hated worrying about them when they went on missions. She insisted on seeing each member of the team when they got back so she could verify with her own two eyes that everybody made it home in one piece. Then they would go through their various post-op routines, shaking off the stress and the adrenaline. His routine involved tracing and following all of the noncombatant members for a few days. As long as he could see them safe, then he could remind himself of why he continued to fight the seemingly never-ending battles with the bad guys. Darcy, Jane, Pepper, Betty…if they were safe then all was right with his world. Darcy, more than all of them, seemed to understand, and she never complained about him following her around. She would share her coffee or lunch and just let him breathe.

It had been five days since he had seen Darcy…and he didn't like it.

"I'm sure she's fine."

Clint frowned down at Natasha. "We don't even know where she is."

"Someone has to."

"But it's not us." That burned more than anything. Who was keeping her safe? Could they be trusted? He huffed, but looked down at his partner. "Was she right?"

Natasha paused. "Yes."

"Damn."

He would have to fix this. As soon as he finished telling her off for scaring him, he would have to let her know how much she helped…every single day…every single mission.


	7. Casualty 6 - Steve Rogers

**Casualty #6 – Steve Rogers**

Steve Rogers threw punch after punch into the bag in front of him. It wouldn't take much more for it to break, he knew, but it seemed to be the only way he could keep his temper in check. Darcy's video had touched a nerve. It had thrown him for a loop like almost nothing else had since he woke up to find himself so far away from his own time. So much of the world had changed while he remained locked in ice, but it wasn't the buildings or the cars or the technology that threw him. He couldn't understand why so many people seemed to think he should be shocked by computers or fancier cars or whatever advances in the various forms of technology. Jules Verne predicted a lot of these things in his stories, and Steve had devoured those tales as a kid. His health problems meant he spent more time idle than most of the boys, and books were a way for him to live out adventures he simply could not manage physically. The fact that the modern world finally caught up to the fictional was not really all that surprising.

What threw him were the people – the people he lost in particular, but also the way people behaved. They were more open about things…open to the point of being vulgar. Subtly and manners had given way to what Pepper called a 'shock value'. They left nothing to the imagination and thought themselves better because of it. He wasn't sure he agreed or approved.

Darcy went out of her way to make the modern world a little less crass.

She took control of movie nights after watching him grow more and more uncomfortable with the first two. From then on they progressed slowly from his favorites as a boy, now considered classics, through the decades. By the time they finally reached the original movies, he was much more comfortable with some of the overtness even if he still preferred the subtle suggestions of earlier films. Darcy admitted she preferred them as well because while Hollywood might be good, they had nothing on her imagination and she hated them stealing the opportunity from her.

Her understanding had relaxed something inside of him, a tenseness he never realized he was carrying until he found someone who saw part of the world the way he did. It meant a lot to him, especially when she got into a resounding argument with Tony over the special effects of the past versus the computer-generated animation of the present. Her stance on the older being better for drawing on the imagination as opposed to the new stuff spelling everything out showed him a connection to this new time, this new era that he had never expected.

And he had never said thank you...not for that connection…not for that sense of belonging. One final punch and the bag flew across the room.

"Okay, soldier," he told himself. "It's time to make this right."


	8. Casualty 7 - Tony Stark

**Casualty #7 – Tony Stark**

Tony Stark stalked around his lab, working on this or that design before jumping to another one. He couldn't focus and it was ticking him off. One sarcastic kid should not be throwing him off his stride this way! He was Tony Stark – genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist! He still needed to get that on his business cards.

Did he carry business cards?

Never mind. Even if the sarcastic kiddo was a clever Pepper-in-training, she should not have him this flustered. Yes, she was the best assistant he'd had since giving Pepper the company, but that didn't mean she should be causing so much trouble. Wasn't he being nice enough to share? Alright, so she had been Foster's first…he still thought he was doing pretty good in not quibbling over having to share.

Darcy Lewis was a mouthy pain in the ass. That was his opinion of the whole thing.

And he was not going to break first.

"JARVIS!"

"Yes, sir?"

"Pull up the last design I was working on…oh, on Monday." Tony would just work until he heard she was back. He would never even notice she was gone – despite the lack of her coffee. JARVIS brought up all of the relevant schematics. Tony took one look and groaned. "Damn it." Tossing the wrench in his hand across the room, he stood there, fists on hips, and glared at the designs.

He spent the past Monday designing changes for the three floors of labs. It specifically included a large center section connected to all of the various laboratories. The center section belonged to Darcy so she could reach any of them whenever she wanted. It also included all of the rooms she had ever mentioned wanting – file rooms, an extra break room, and larger supply closets. This was not the way to quit thinking about the chit.

Wait…didn't this prove she was wrong?

"Ha!" Tony pointed at the design. "See? I didn't take her for granted. I'm doing exactly what she wanted. How can she say I took her for granted?" 

"Did you inform Miss Lewis of the changes being planned?" JARVIS asked.

"No, of course not, they weren't finished," he replied and then rolled his eyes. "Quit taking her side!"

"I am not taking anyone's 'side', sir," the AI informed him. "You made an inquiry. I required more information before I could formulate an answer. If Miss Lewis remained unaware of the room-"

"Yeah, yeah," Tony muttered. "I get it. She couldn't possible know if I didn't tell her." He paced. "I'm not good with this kind of thing!"

"Perhaps some flowers, sir?"

"She wants a thank you, JARVIS, not a-" Tony broke off. "Flowers can say thank you…but…they're not really me. Hmm…"

He should probably be somewhat rueful that it took his own computer to remind him that a 'thank you' could come in more than just one format, but considering it was JARVIS, he'd overlook it. Now, what did a tech-savvy genius get a mouthy Pepper-in-training as a thank you gift?


	9. Casualty 8 - Phil Coulson

**Casualty #8 – Phil Coulson**

Phil Coulson sat at his desk and considered the entire situation. The Avengers were falling apart the longer Miss Lewis remained 'out of touch'. When he first met Darcy Lewis in New Mexico, he never expected her to become such a vital component of the Initiative. She seemed too flakey. It wasn't until later when he learned about her being the first to spot the light of Thor's arrival, her overprotective attitude towards Jane, and how she caught the anomaly of Jane's pictures that he realized what kind of diamond in the rough they might have in the quirky intern.

An observant young woman who could roll with the punches and oddities of aliens, super heroes, and geniuses…they would be stupid to let her escape, and neither SHIELD, as a whole, or Coulson himself could ever be accused of sheer stupidity.

It would have helped if Miss Lewis wanted to actually work with SHIELD, of course, but they could work with her refusal as well. As an independent contractor, she could 'avoid becoming another jack-booted thug'.

There were days when he wished Doctor Selvig had never introduced her to that term.

Phil Coulson had long decided that Miss Lewis was a God-send. Her paperwork came in like clockwork, complete and in order. Instead of having to waste his time tracking down the reports from the science labs, he could focus on his agents and the captain. It certainly made her life easier…if he had only mentioned it to her.

A knock interrupted his musings. "Come in."

"How badly did we screw up?" Clint demanded as he threw himself down in the visitor's chair.

"Badly enough," Coulson replied calmly. "Miss Lewis obviously did not feel her work with the team was being valued appropriately. " He folded his hands and rested them on the desk in front of him. "She is not an agent or a handler, but we…I did not take that into account when dealing with her professionally. I reacted as I would for a member of SHIELD, forgetting that she is not actually an employee. She is, almost, a volunteer as a matter of fact."

"Did anybody ever show her any appreciation for what she's been doing? Have we all been taking her for granted?" A frown etched itself over Clint's face.

"I believe we have all grown to expect her to simply be there," Coulson mused. "We quit remembering to be grateful and started to accept it as part of the 'machinery' as it were. That will need to be remedied."

"No kidding," Clint muttered. "I don't like her being gone."

"I do not believe Miss Lewis would be so foolish as to put herself in danger," Coulson replied. "She is well aware of the danger posed by being a part of this team."

"Yeah, well…"

Coulson watched Clint brood for a moment. "When she comes back, you can talk to her about it, but be careful how you phrase it." He stood up. "Let's go. I want to check on the rest of the team."


	10. Casualty 9 - Natasha Romanoff

**Casualty #9 – Natasha Romanoff**

Natasha Romanoff moved with the music, her body following the flowing pattern she remembered learning as a child. Each move remained precise and perfect while managing to look fresh and free. It was the beauty of ballet. Every motion of the body reached a certain point, angle, or pose without seeming to stress or fight. It remained a beautiful mask – the perfect analogy for Natasha herself, beautiful, demanding, and possessing a secret.

Ballet, like Natasha, required a core of steel if it was going to work properly.

She remembered meeting Darcy Lewis. The open-hearted girl-child intrigued Natasha. The spy could not remember ever being that trusting. Darcy breezed into the tower, giving away her smiles, her hugs, and her joy with abandon. Natasha withheld her inner self, hiding behind a mask until she felt safe enough to let someone behind it. It never came off. Darcy may or may not have noticed the mask, Natasha could not be quite sure, but she still reached out in an attempt to make friends. Most people shied away from Black Widow, but not Darcy. She would smile and hug and gently tease. The baby agents couldn't decide if the girl was gutsy or crazy.

Of course, Darcy was the girl who spent an hour talking to Hulk in the middle of Central Park. The point might be moot.

Natasha could still remember the moment she claimed Darcy as one of her own, putting her into the same category as Coulson and Clint. Everyone had been on edge after a particularly difficult mission. Natasha herself remained in the media room when everyone scattered for the night. Ten minutes later Darcy came stumbling back in, a pillow in her arms and Clint hovering nearby. "You two," she muttered. Instead of arguing, she just curled up in the large armchair. She stuffed the pillow under her head. "Okay," Darcy yawned, "try and get some rest instead of prowling the whole tower, okay?" Then she just…went to sleep. It still struck Natasha – Darcy let herself be vulnerable just to give Clint a little peace of mind and trusted Natasha enough to be helpless in the spy's presence. It had been a shocking moment of clarity.

Darcy didn't care about the red in Natasha's ledger because she didn't see the killer spy. Darcy only saw a friend in need.

The music stopped.

"Natasha."

She turned to find Coulson standing in her doorway. "Yes?"

"I would like to have everyone meet in the large family room, please."

"Very well," she nodded. "A discussion on how to correct our error?"

"Yes."

"Good," she replied decisively. "I shall be there momentarily."

He nodded and slipped back out of the room. Natasha glanced around. This room had been Darcy's idea, and Natasha remembered walking in on the discussion between the girl and Stark. When Natasha asked her about it, Darcy had replied, "Everyone deserves their own space."

Natasha's face grew set. They had driven Darcy away, and they would fix this if she had to personally kick all of their asses.


	11. Casualty 10 - Thor Odinson

**Casualty #10 – Thor Odinson**

Thor Odiinson, warrior of both Asgard and Midgard, stood in the family room and watched as his friends and fellow warriors filed in to take seats for this meeting. The Son of Coul wanted everyone together to discuss the situation with Lady Darcy.

He did not understand how Darcy could mistake her value among them.

Thor himself held her in high regard. Their first meeting could only be termed disastrous, but she had not backed down, even when he admittedly grew too belligerent for Midgardians. Instead of fleeing as most maidens in the past had done, she reacted as valiantly as any warrior maid. Her 'taser' proved a most effective weapon and she wielded it with honor in defense of herself and her friends. Even lacking his usual powers or prowess, it should not have proven so easy to fell a warrior such as himself. The tale of her bravery would be told and retold in the halls of his father.

One day he would have to tell her of the many admirers she currently possessed in Asgard; all of whom wanted to meet the human woman who had defeated the mighty Thor.

His return and reunion with Jane was partially her doing as well. Were it not for her efforts in supporting and caring for Jane, his love might not have had the stamina to repair the Midgardian end of the Bifrost. Thor adored Jane, but he easily acknowledged her tendency to overlook such vital details as food and sleep. His lady would have worked her way into sickness or worse without the ongoing assistance Darcy provided.

Why then would Darcy not know how truly precious she was to him? To all of them?

He posed the question aloud.

Jane sighed, "She needed the words."

"Darcy is not a warrior," Natasha explained. She held up one hand when he went to protest. "I know she tased you, but she's not a fighter, first and foremost. She's a young woman we insisted take on more than she had the training to handle."

"And yet," Coulson interjected, "she handled it quite well." Nods and quiet agreement echoed around the room. "I believe we will find that Darcy knows we appreciate her work when we think of it, but all too often we are taking it for granted that she will be there."

"Is that not an accurate expectation?" Thor asked, wanting to line things up properly. "That a teammate will be there in a time of need?"

"When was her last vacation?" Pepper asked quietly. "When was the last time she took a day for herself?"

No one answered, but Thor began to nod slowly. "I see," he rumbled. "I believe I understand now." His frown deepened. "We have been remiss, gravely remiss, my friends. Even the strongest of warriors needs a time to replenish themselves."

"Precisely," Coulson agreed. "And more – we have demanded her support for our work, but who has supported her?"

No one answered.

Thor drew himself up. "This must change."


	12. Casualty 11 - Betty Ross

**Casualty #11 – Betty Ross**

Doctor Betty Ross sat quietly beside Bruce. Being the new kid on the block, as it were, meant she escaped most of the scrutinizing gaze Agent Coulson scanned across the room. She had only met Darcy a few times before this sudden 'strike' happened.

"I'm sorry," she interrupted quietly, "but…I don't quite understand." Everyone turned to look at her. A small frown furrowed her brow. "I thought Darcy was Jane's assistant?"

Coulson gave her a small nod. "That is how everything started, Dr. Ross. You will find that things rarely stay quite so…clear cut."

"Darcy takes care of people," Jane explained, a fond smile touching her face. "She can't seem to help herself.

That seemed to open the floodgates for the team, as well as Director Fury. Betty listened with a mixture of surprise and awe as the people around her explained all of the various ways Darcy had made their lives easier, happier, or simply more comfortable. It seemed like she managed to be everywhere. While Betty knew it was actually just a case of excellent organization and time management, it seemed pretty overwhelming when people put all of the information together.

As Bruce quietly explained all that Darcy did for him, Betty felt tears pricking her eyes. She owed the young woman more than she could say for this alone. No wonder Bruce seemed open and accepting of Betty's arrival at the tower.

"JARVIS," Tony spoke up at that point. "Tell them about her lists."

JARVIS replied immediately. "Miss Lewis keeps exceedingly detailed lists for the team and each individual. These lists contain information on allergies, preferences, and dislikes." There was a pause before he continued. "I should also inform you that Miss Lewis has included that information in my instructions involving the team."

"Such as?" Clint asked quietly.

"Movie nights," JARVIS answered. "If Dr. Foster will be present for movie nights, certain movies are struck from the list due to her dislike of Adam Sandler. No horror films are kept on the list when Dr. Ross is attending. Movies deemed to be 'chick flicks' are removed during full team nights in order to 'protect the testosterone set'."

A small laugh raced around the group as the AI repeated an obvious quote.

Coulson placed his hands behind his back and looked over the team and his boss. Another voice interrupted before he could speak.

"Everyone finally get a clue?"

The new voice drew everyone's attention to the door. Maria Hill, Fury's second-in-command, cast an imperious look around the room. She planted her hands on her hips and slowly made eye contact with each and every individual. "Yes, I can see you have."

"Hill?" Fury lifted an eyebrow at her.

"She came to me for help in getting away clean," Hill explained, the tiniest hint of disdain touching the corner of her mouth. "I certainly never forgot to thank her for making my life easier. Also, off the record and in my personal opinion? You lot should be ashamed of yourselves." People shifted uneasily and she rolled her eyes. "At least you seemed to have learned your lesson."


	13. Rapprochement

_Author's Note – And done! Hope you enjoyed!_

**Rapprochement**

Assistant Director Maria Hill sighed as she looked around the room. "Do you think you'll remember this next time you start taking Lewis for granted?" Murmurs, mutters, and nods of fervent agreement came to her from every corner of the room. She gave one decisive nod. "Good." Reaching up to tap her comlink, she said, "Operation Enlightenment, recall notice given."

Everyone exchanged quick looks and Clint leaned forward. "Someone went with her?"

"Do you honestly think she would be that stupid, Barton?" Hill gave him an annoyed glance. "Lewis is perfectly well aware of the dangers that come with working here. Loki, Doom, Hydra…do I need to go on? This was not a sudden decision. We've been planning this for weeks now and timed it."

"Timed it?" Coulson raised an eyebrow.

The corners of Hill's mouth tilted up. "Aren't you missing someone?"

"Bucky," Steve noted immediately.

Hill just tilted her head in agreement, but Fury shook his head. "Soldier was on assignment."

"We put this into action as soon as Barnes called in to report his mission complete," Hill told him. "Since he was the only one who managed to stay off her strike list, he would be the one to keep her safe. Barnes picked her up and took her to a safe house here in the city. He reports in directly to me so I can keep an eye on everything."

Shared looks flashed around the room. "In the city?" Jane perked up.

Hill nodded. "She'll be here any minute."

Even as she spoke, everyone heard the front door open and they tensed until bright laughter echoed through the open door. "You are such a brat!" Darcy exclaimed as she walked into the room.

Bucky grinned down at her. "I was telling you the truth, doll face."

"That's the part that worries me." She shook her head at him before turning to face the rest of the room. "Oh, hey, everybody!" Darcy breezed into the room, easily handing out hugs and smiles seemingly without a care. If she found the fervent responses surprising, she hid it well.

"We're having a bit of a meeting, Miss Lewis," Coulson told her, a small smile appearing on his face. "Would you care to join us?"

"Sure," Darcy shrugged. She slipped over to the large armchair in front of the window and flopped down in it. Everyone watched as Bucky her. He put his left hand down on the back of the chair and lounged against the arm. The warning look he shot around the room gave notice of his intention to continue protecting the woman next to him.

Coulson nodded at both of them, but he focused on Darcy. "Miss Lewis, I believe your unexpected actions have awoken us to the errors of our ways, and we are discussing how to correct that."

Darcy glanced around the room. "It doesn't take a lot," she pointed out quietly. She gave a tremulous little smile as she lifted one shoulder. "All it takes is an occasional thank you."


End file.
